Edwin wrote:I read about a Russian commander of a missile silo in the cold war who saw on all his instruments that the Americans had launched nukes at Russia but still decided not to retaliate.

I'm aware of one similar thing on the US side. A sentry at an air force base spotted a figure apparently climbing the fence. He took a few shots and raised an alarm alerting the base to a possible saboteur. The figure then ran off on four legs. The sentry had misidentified a bear in the near-midnight darkness.

Thing is, that alarm didn't just tell the base to be on watch. A string of local airfields were all electronically connected so that an alarm at one of them alerted the others in the network. Thanks to a crossed wire, one of those airfields didn't get a warning about possible intruders. It got the "this isn't a cold war any more, send the bombers and repent your sins" order instead.

This might not have been so bad, but it was in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Someone had the sense to confirm the orders.

Lo, let be it, for now when Tuesday then cometh with not again, be it another less more it be. Be faith giveth whence came me unto, yet not needeth for unto me, for yet be learn to be. -ZinglonHuh? -Monses

with the latest news that NK have the Hydrogen bomb, which is much more powerful than the Uranium bomb, I really do fear for peace. If we make it to the end of the year that will be something. I expect 2018 could very well be the year that will end History.

The sad thing is that it's not the tyrannical despot in Pyongyang that I'm worried about, it's the one in Washington DC (or, more accurately, the one on a Floridian golf course). Still, if North Korea has actually developed a weapon capable of being launched via missile, it's definitely something to be concerned about, and I'm curious how the world will respond to it.

At the very least, China needs to make it abundantly and publicly clear to NK that they will sit back and watch them be destroyed by the rest of the world if they're crazy enough to attack anyone. I don't think Kim is that crazy - I think he's more of a gigantic troll, much like Trump.

Similarly, the UN needs to make it abundantly and publicly clear to Trump that any pre-emptive strike against NK would be a very, very, very (bigly, even) bad idea. Especially since (IIRC) a nuclear launch is the only military first strike option the president can order unilaterally.

I don't think a world ending war will occur in the coming years despite whats going on. China has a lot to lose and might just squash Kim and install a more pliable leader. Trump won't be allowed to do anything by his military or senate. No one wants to start slinging nukes about, even Kim knows he's fucked if he tries anything drastic.

Unfortunately there are currently a lot of cunts running countries around the world. One can only hope that there are people behind said cunts who will not allow the worst to happen.

Hitler also had a large well armed, well trained, modern army that was capable of fighting wars of multiple fronts (for a while, anyway). I think Kim Jong Un knows he wouldn't stand a chance if he actually did anything.

second_base wrote:You need to fuck off now...like right now dude.

Parv wrote:Edwin has been my least favourite forumite for a long time now.

good point. I get the feeling he is not suicidal, so as long as he wants to stay in power he will most probably will not start a war. The best joke about this whole crises is one made by Bill Maher. The first 2 atomic bombs used in war were Little Boy and Fat Man. Talk about History giving us a warning.

Edwin wrote: I think Kim Jong Un knows he wouldn't stand a chance if he actually did anything.

More importantly, I think his Generals understand that if they started anything, it would mean the end of everything they have. North Korea (militarily) would be destroyed, and their power base gone. That could only lead to one thing, a Korean unification at some point. While that may be a good thing for the people of both Korea's, its not what the North Korean military want.

As long as peace exists, they maintain their position of power. If their military is effectively destroyed, they lose their hold over the people. Once that happens, North Korea as a country is finished. whether he fully understands that, I doubt. But I bet his Generals do.